Preuitt confident about leadership vote despite opposition

Associated Press

Published: Saturday, January 6, 2007 at 6:01 a.m.

Last Modified: Saturday, January 6, 2007 at 7:46 a.m.

MONTGOMERY - Democratic Sen. Jim Preuitt of Talladega was confident Friday that he will have enough votes to become the next leader of the Alabama Senate, but other senators were trying to sway votes away from him.

The new Legislature meets for its organizational session at noon Tuesday, and first up for the Senate is the election of the president pro tem. Sen. Lowell Barron, D-Fyffe, who held the post the last eight years, has dropped out of the race.

Preuitt, a three-term senator and political ally of Republican Gov. Bob Riley, has drawn support from the Senate's 12 Republicans and six other Democrats, which would give him a majority of 19 votes in the 35-member Senate.

Preuitt plans to put together a bipartisan leadership team that would feature committee chairmen from both parties.

Sen. Hinton Mitchem, D-Union Grove, has been trying to organize a Democratic majority to elect him president pro tem and keep Democrats in control of the Senate's major committees.

"I like Governor Riley, but I think it's wrong for the governor to try and take over the Senate and that's exactly what's happening now," Mitchem told WAAY-TV.

<p>MONTGOMERY - Democratic Sen. Jim Preuitt of Talladega was confident Friday that he will have enough votes to become the next leader of the Alabama Senate, but other senators were trying to sway votes away from him.</p><p>The new Legislature meets for its organizational session at noon Tuesday, and first up for the Senate is the election of the president pro tem. Sen. Lowell Barron, D-Fyffe, who held the post the last eight years, has dropped out of the race.</p><p>Preuitt, a three-term senator and political ally of Republican Gov. Bob Riley, has drawn support from the Senate's 12 Republicans and six other Democrats, which would give him a majority of 19 votes in the 35-member Senate.</p><p>Preuitt plans to put together a bipartisan leadership team that would feature committee chairmen from both parties.</p><p>Sen. Hinton Mitchem, D-Union Grove, has been trying to organize a Democratic majority to elect him president pro tem and keep Democrats in control of the Senate's major committees.</p><p>"I like Governor Riley, but I think it's wrong for the governor to try and take over the Senate and that's exactly what's happening now," Mitchem told WAAY-TV.</p>